Miko

Miko(巫女) are women in the service of Shintoshrines. The translation of Miko is "Woman of God" (chosen by, or totally devoted to, the gods), but the closest meaning is "shrine maiden". In Shinto, there are priestesses; but Miko are not priestesses, because they have less authority. However, they can act as priestesses in case of need. They usually act as helpers of the Shintoist priests.